Massey Documents by Type

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/294

Browse

Subject: search.filters.subject.Equipment and supplies

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 28
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Integrated power amplifier and antenna-on-chip for 5G communication applications : thesis by publications presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2023) Ali, Syed Muhammad Ammar
    With the advent of 5G cellular networks, there is a crucial requirement for wireless hardware operable at microwave and millimeter-wave (mmW) frequencies. Two significant elements of wireless hardware are Power Amplifier (PA) and Antenna. An integrated power amplifier designed for 5G communications is expected to offer maximum performance in terms of efficiency, output power, and/or gain. An On-Chip Antenna design would require features like simple geometry, a small form factor, free from the risk of micro-fracture, and cost-effectiveness. Among different classes of PAs, the Class-F-1 amplifier is selected because it offers relatively better output power and efficiency. Different techniques are utilized in this work to enhance the performance parameters of the Class-F-1 PA, designed at the 5G-millimeterwave frequency of 38-GHz. In order to achieve high gain, a two-stage topology of Class-F-1 PA is employed. For the purpose of obtaining high output power, a stacking structure is established in the final stage of the two-stage topology. Class-F-1-based parasitic-aware harmonic-control loading is employed to improve the efficiency of the power amplifier. Therefore, a two-stage Class-F-1 power amplifier with a double-stacked configuration is designed and fabricated. GlobalFoundries 8HP 130nm SiGe-BiCMOS process technology is utilized for realizing the integrated mmW power amplifier. A Figure of Merit (FoM) is calculated for comparing the performance of the designed power amplifier with other mmW amplifiers reported in the literature. It is observed that the proposed two-stage double-stacked Class-F-1 PA shows comparatively the highest FoM (69.68) achieved so far in state-of-the-art silicon-based Class F/F-1 power amplifiers. Another integrated Class-F-1 power amplifier is proposed at a new unlicensed 5G-microwave frequency of 6-GHz. The PA is designed to achieve very high power-efficiency. The amplifier employs a “single-transistor” design in 65-nm standard CMOS process technology. The PA is loaded with a Class-F-1 harmonic-control network, employing a new parasitic-aware topology deduced using a novel iterative-algorithm. The proposed algorithm starts from a specific reference value and quickly converges towards the solution. A dual-purpose output-matching circuit is employed in the design. The output-matching circuit not only matches the output impedance to 50-Ω but also reinforces the Class-F-1 harmonic network in controlling the harmonics efficiently. The proposed amplifier offers a peak power-added-efficiency (PAE) of 47.8% which is one of the highest when compared with previously reported microwave/millimeterwave PAs in CMOS and SiGe process technologies. Besides power-amplifiers, another essential part of this research is On-Chip Antenna (OCA). As millimeterwave frequencies exhibit relatively smaller wavelengths, it becomes feasible to design an antenna on a microchip using standard CMOS processes. As compared to Off-Chip Antennas, the On-Chip Antennas offer a high level of integration with RF-front-end circuitry, as well as an external interconnect-free interface and low fabrication cost. An On-Chip Planar-Inverted-F Antenna (PIFA) in TSMC 180-nm CMOS is designed to radiate at the 5G-millimeterwave frequency of 38-GHz. A PIFA is selected because it offers simple geometry, small form factor, design flexibility, and robustness. An Ultra-Thick Metal (UTM) layer in 180-nm CMOS is utilized to implement the antenna structure on the chip. To achieve better radiation performance, the OCA is positioned close to the edge of the microchip. The measurements are conducted after placing the fabricated OCA over a 3D-printed plastic-slab to minimize the reflections from the metallic-chuck of the probe-station. The fabricated OCA delivered an antenna-gain of 0.7-dBi at the millimeterwave center-frequency of 38-GHz.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Slot n' Slide : a concept design for a life jacket for flood events in India : an exegesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Design at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2022) Shaik, Areef
    India endures numerous flood events every year due to its tropical monsoon climate. River delta regions affected by these disaster events are often heavily populated and experience considerable damage and loss of life through drowning. The life jacket currently in use by first responders in India negatively impacts performance with unsatisfactory levels of protection, comfort, and stowage. In addition, these products present fit and usability challenges and lack cultural sensitivity to end-users. This research project addresses the suitability of this life jacket to respond efficiently in an emergency by using a practice-led prototyping investigation to develop a specific flood rescue product that is reflective of the context of use and responsive to the cultural context of India. The outcome of this creative practice research is a ‘slot n slide’ panel life jacket inspired by the traditional Indian sari. This conceptual design accommodates a diverse range of body anthropometry in a one-size-fits-all solution, achieved by an innovative inter-panel strapping system with integrated side adjustments. This concept provides new and perceivable benefits, including improvements in utility for first responders, single product deployment, efficient stowage and provisioning with easier donning and doffing, broad size accommodation, and a single adjustment strap, improving usability for end-users.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The development of feedstock for 3D printing and 3D knitting of continuous carbon fibre composite filaments : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Mechatronics at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Kvalsvig, Andrew D.
    The main purpose of this research was the development of a composite filament comprising of a thermoset resin and long/continuous carbon fibre reinforcement for the use with additive manufacturing applications. Currently, there are composite materials available that consist of fibre reinforcement but none that utilise long/continuous fibre reinforcement with a thermoset resin in a controlled manner. A series of prototypes were developed to determine the production processes required to produce the composite filament. Specimens were produced from these prototypes were subjected to cross-sectional analysis to analyse the quality of composite filament being produced. The results from this research is a production method that consistently produces the composite filament with the desired material properties. The secondary purpose of this research was to analyse a commercially available 3D printer, the Mark One, that can produce composite parts using long/continuous fibre reinforcement and a thermoplastic matrix. An analysis into the capabilities and limitations of the Mark One was conducted prior to analysing specimens produced by the Mark One. An analysis of the tensile properties of parts produced by the Mark One was conducted using fibreglass and carbon fibre long/continuous fibre reinforcement. Tensile specimens made in accordance with the standard ASTM D638 for Type I specimens were produced and tensile tested. The Taguchi method was used to analyse the effect and contribution that three parameters had on the tensile properties of specimens. Complications with specimens fracturing incorrectly lead to a redesign of the tensile specimens to ensure the specimens would fracture correctly. Several design iterations were tested until a final design was chosen. This final design was used for both fibreglass and carbon fibre specimens. The results from the tensile specimens showed the effect that changing certain parameters had on the tensile properties and the contribution that each parameter had on the tensile properties produced using the Mark One. These results were confirmed by producing tensile specimens using the optimal combination of parameters and provided insight into the capabilities of the Mark One.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Use of X-ray to identify contaminants in pelleted seed lots for biosecurity : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Agricultural Science) at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Wang, Yufan
    Thousands of tonnes of seed, of which around 10% is pelleted, comes into New Zealand through international trade every year. However, this trade also brings potential risks to New Zealand biosecurity. Pelleted seeds can contain contaminants, including seeds other than the crop species in the seed lot and inert matter; both may cause negative effects on crop growth or bring pests and diseases. A reliable method is necessary to inspect seed lots for the contaminants. The conventional way to inspect for contaminants in pelleted seeds is to separate the seeds from pellets and inspect visually. However, this is a time consuming and potentially health damaging procedure. A faster and safer non-invasive inspection method is needed urgently. X-ray imaging systems have the potential to non-invasively identify contaminants in seed lots. 2-D X-ray was firstly applied in this research to determine if the system could separate non-target seeds such as weed seed from naked crop “target” seeds, since if 2-D X-ray cannot separate non-target seeds from naked target seeds, there is little chance to separate seeds that are pelleted. In this research, three target species were used. These were beet (Rapistrum, Ranunculus and spinach as contaminants), carrot (Polygonum, Chenopodium and Solanum as contaminants) and lettuce (Sonchus and Lapsana as contaminants), because of their high contamination rates in imported seed lots. Seed shape parameters: dimensions, form, circularity, roughness and intensity, were used to characterize seeds for further comparison. The results showed Ranunulus can be separated from beet by dimensions and intensity; Rapistrum can be separated by elongation, circularity and intensity; spinach was hard to separate from beet. In the carrot group, Chenopodium and Solanum can be separated from carrot by either dimensions, elongation or circularity, while Polygonum cannot be separated from Carrot. For contaminants in lettuce, Sonchus can be separated from lettuce by dimensions and intensity; Lapsana can be separated by elongation and circularity. However, all the separation above was based on mean values, seeds with extreme sizes would limit the effects of shape parameters in seed separation. Determining if pelleting seeds can also be separated using the same parameters was the next important step for determining if 2-D X-ray can be used for pelleted seed inspection. However, little literature can be found regarding specific pelleting materials and pelleting procedures, as they are held by the seed companies. Therefore, protocols for pelleting the relatively small numbers of pelleted seed for research are needed. During several trials on seed pelleting, Methocel™ and gypsum was identified as suitable pelleting materials. The vortex mixer was identified as the best equipment for pelleting using a one-by-one adding method, which was feasible for pelleting both tiny-seeds and small-quantities seeds. The seeds pelleted showed a uniform and well-rounded appearance. However, when applying the same 2-D X-ray for seed separation, the seed projections were hard to be extracted for further analysis, because of the poor differentiation between seeds and pellets. This research explored the potential of using 2-D X-ray to separate naked non-target seed from naked target seeds by seed shape parameters. The outcomes confirmed that the mean values of shape parameters can separate contaminants from target seeds, however at the extreme ends of the range seed parameters overlap will limit the value of the shape parameters. Pelleting seeds under laboratory conditions can also be realized by using vortex mixer as equipment and using Methocel™ and gypsum as pelleting materials. Nonetheless, 2-D X-ray was not a reliable tool to detect pelleted seeds, since it is hard to separate seed projections from pellets with images only from a top view. 3-D X-ray could potentially be applied in future research because of its higher resolution than 2-D X-ray. In addition, 3-D X-ray images enable analysts to analyze seeds from different angles other than one fixed angle, which makes the analysis free from image overlap problems. Although research on 3-D X-ray for seed separation is at its beginning, it is potentially useful for pelleted seed analysis.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Self-assembled optical diffraction sensor for water quality monitoring : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2020) Jaywant, Swapna
    Water contamination is one of the current global issues; the freshwater sources being extremely restricted are causing a drinking water crisis in many countries. An increase in water contamination continuously decreases water quality. Generally, water pollution includes pathogenic, nutrients, and chemical (organic & inorganic) contaminants. Inorganic contamination involves metallic particles such as arsenic, lead, etc. Of these contaminants, arsenic (As) is a major concern due to its mutagenic and carcinogenic effects on human health. The World Health Organisation has recommended the maximum contamination limit (MCL) for arsenic in drinking water to be 10 µg/L. Countries like Bangladesh, China, Vietnam, India, Chile, USA, and Canada are contaminated with arsenic. Arsenic species are also found in New Zealand in 28 geothermal features from the Taupo Volcanic Zone and the Waikato region. Thus, a rising level of arsenic in drinking water creates the need to periodically monitor its levels in potable water. Commercially available methods are either laboratory-based or kit based techniques. The most common laboratory-based arsenic detection methods are reliable. However, these are expensive due to the requirement for specific instrumentation. Hence, they are not considered to be field-effective for arsenic detection. On the other hand, commercially available kit-based methods are portable but are not considered to be safe and reliable due to the production of toxic by-products. The development of a portable and sensitive arsenic sensor with high throughput could be an asset. In this research, we present a novel sensor with a unique surface modification technique to detect arsenite (As(III)) contamination of water. Here, the approach involves the potential usage of self-assembled optical diffraction patterns of a thiol compound (dithiothreitol or glutathione) on the gold-coated glass. The self-assembled patterns are obtained through a microcontact printing (µCP) procedure. Gold binds with the thiol compound through an Au-S linkage. In addition to this, As(III) has an affinity towards amino acids, amines, peptides, and organic micro molecules due to As-O or As-S linkages. The research indicates that the total time taken by the µCP process to transfer the patterns successfully on to the gold-coated substrate is inversely proportional to the concentration of the thiol molecules and pH value of the solvent. Further, the signal enhancement of these thiol-based self-assembled patterns allows for detection of the As(III) contamination. Simultaneously, the automated fluidic system is designed to provide fluid handling. The system is developed with the help of off-the-shelf and/or in-house fabricated components. The characterisation of fluidic components proved that the low-cost fluidic components work reliably in the fluidic network and can be used in sensing applications for pumping, mixing, and circulation purposes. We also explore the possibility of using fused deposition modelling and selective laser sintering technology for the printing of the flow chamber through printing microchannels. These two technologies have been compared in terms of the minimum possible channel size, fluid ow-rate, and leakage. Overall, we developed a sensing scheme of a portable self-assembled diffraction sensor for As(III) detection. The developed sensor can detect dissolved As(III) up to 20 µg/L. The µCP of a dithiothreitol pattern has not been found in the literature yet. Hence, this research also provides a guide towards µCP of dithiothreitol on a gold-coated substrate.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Guidelines for small scale biochar production system to optimise carbon sequestration outcome : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Bioprocessing Engineering at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Cortez Pires de Campos, Arthur
    Biochar is made in a 60 kg batch pyrolysis reactor developed by Massey University in both prior work and during this project. This thesis details the design and control features necessary to produce biochar (charcoal) at temperatures ranging from 400-700°C. It also examines the emissions abatement necessary to achieve the best possible carbon footprint by combusting the gases to avoid release to the atmosphere. The feedstock for this work was Pinus radiata without bark. The biochar reactor is a vertical drum mounted on top of a combustion chamber containing two forced draft LPG burners. The combustion gases pass through an outer annular drum and so heat the biomass through the external wall. Evolving pyrolysis gases then move toward a central perforated core inside the drum, then descend into the combustion chamber where they are partially combusted. The range of highest treatment temperatures (400-700°C) was extended by controlling the partial combustion by varying a secondary air supply into the combustion chamber (previously only 700°C was achievable). Effective emissions abatement requires complete combustion. This work reveals that the flammability of the pyrolysis gases is not high enough to self-combust and so does not remove soot and other products of incomplete combustion, such as CO and CH4. Therefore, supplementary fuel is always needed. Here, this was achieved using modulated LPG burners at the flare. This system has the problem of batch pyrolysis reactors, where the release of volatiles from the reactor is uncontrolled, making the design of a variable rate flare system a non-trivial matter. Modifications made to the reactor design in this project include insulating the flare chimney, extending it to provide sufficient residence time, and installing adjustable vents to ensure sufficient air entrainment for complete combustion. This achieved emissions of CO and CxHy (hydrocarbon, mostly CH4) of 32 and 51 ppm respectively, which were well within the US EPA limits for both suspension and fluidised bed biomass burners(2.400 and 240 ppm respectively). The net environmental impact was determined for char made at 700°C, through carbon footprint analysis. An efficient system is needed to achieve a net sequestration benefit. Here, even with emissions abatement and the above mentioned very low CO and CxHy emissions, no net benefit was achieved. With the flare working, the net fractional sequestration was -0,14 (kg C sequestered)/(kg C in biomass). Then, when the flare is turned OFF, the net fractional sequestration was -1,2401 (kg C sequestered)/(kg C in biomass). Therefore, another frame of reference for well-operated systems is that the permissible emission should be less than 0.001 (kg C emitted as CO)/(kg C biomass), without considering methane or other GHGs.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    3D printing materials for large-scale insulation and support matrices : thesis by publications presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering, Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Harris, Muhammad
    Additive manufacturing (AM) techniques have promising applications in daily life due to their superiority over conventional manufacturing techniques in terms of complexity and ease of use. However, current applications of polymer-based 3D printing (3DP) are limited to small scale only due to the high cost of materials, print times, and physical sizes of the available machines. In addition, the applications of 3DP are yet to be explored for insulation of different large-scale mechanical structures. For example, milk vats are large structures with complex assemblies (like pipes, joints, couplings, valves, ladders, vessel doors) that requires insulation to store the milk at a low temperature of 6 °C as per the NZCP1 regulations in New Zealand. Generally, milk vats lack any kind of proper insulation around them and require additional cooling systems to keep the milk at a prescribed temperature. Any variations in the temperature can lead to deterioration in the quality of milk. Therefore, there exists a research gap that can not only help to solve an industrial issue but also can be a first step towards real large-scale 3DP applications that can potentially lead to many others in future. For example, pipe insulation, food storage tanks, chemical storage tanks, water treatment. This research explores new and inexpensive materials for large-scale 3DP. For this purpose, the current state of the 3DP materials is analyzed and based upon this analysis two distinct approaches are devised: 1) in-process approach to improve the mechanical properties of the existing materials like polylactic acid (PLA), and 2) modification of inexpensive materials (like materials used in injection, rotational, and blow moulding) to make them printable. In the first approach, by controlling the process parameters, mechanical properties are studied. While in the second approach, blends of high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) with different thermoplastics (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, ABS and polylactic acid, PLA) are investigated to achieve printability. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) are used to analyze the proposed materials. The overall objective of this research is to devise low-cost materials comparable to the conventional processes that are capable of providing good mechanical properties (tensile, compressive and flexural) along with high resistance to thermal, moisture, and soil degradation. The results present significant enhancement, up to 30%, in tensile strength of PLA through in-process heat treatment. However, the softness induced during printing above 70 °C directs to the second approach of developing the novel blends of HDPE and PP. In this regard, the research develops three novel blend materials: 1) PLA/HDPE, 2) ABS/HDPE, and 3) ABS/PP. These materials are compatibilized by a common compatibilizer, polyethylene graft maleic anhydride (PE-g-MAH). PLA/HDPE/PE-g-MAH provides highest tensile strength among all existing FDM blends (73.0 MPa) with superior resistance to thermal, moisture and soil degradation. ABS/HDPE and ABS/PP provide one of the highest mechanical properties (tensile, compressive, and flexural) in ABS based FDM blends with superior thermal resistance to six days aging. ii The chemical characterization of aforementioned novel FDM blends shows partial miscibility with sufficient signs of chemical grafting. The significant intermolecular interactions are noted in FTIR that shows the grafting through compatibilizer (PE-g-MAH). The DSC analysis shows visible enhancement in different thermal parameters like glass transition, melt crystallization and degradation along with signs of partial miscibility. Furthermore, TGA analysis confirms the partial miscibility along with the enhanced onset of degradation temperature. The increase in onset temperatures of each of the three blends proves the thermal stability to high temperatures. Hence, each of the developed blends is capable of resisting any material deterioration during routine cleaning operation at 70 °C of milk vats. This research has resulted in 5 journal publication (four published and one submitted), two conference proceedings and a number of posters presented at local conferences. This research is the part of food industry and enabling technologies (FIET) research program funded by the ministry of business, innovation and employment (MBIE), New Zealand in collaboration with Massey University, Auckland.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Design and performance assessment for a novel friction smoke generator : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Chemical and Bioprocessing at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Seraj, Muhammad Abdulrahman M.
    Friction is one of the methods used to generate smoke for food smoking applications. The method involves pressing a plank of wood against a spinning wheel, roughened to provide frictional heating. The heating raises the interface temperature above 240 °C, where smouldering occurs. The primary objective of this project was to understand the dynamics of a novel friction smoke generator, designed in a prior project, but optimised here. Subobjectives included understanding the frictional system and its thermodynamic behaviour, and preliminary attempts to define the composition of the smoke. The novel aspect of the design is supplementary heating additional to the heat generated by friction. This means the interface temperature is less dependent on frictional heating. A system control strategy was developed to control temperature and force. Twenty seven experiments were carried out. Nine of them investigated the smouldering limits without supplementary heating for various pressing forces and sliding speeds. The other twelve runs were conducted with supplementary heating for 100, 150 and 200 ˚C and various forces at constant sliding speed. The last six experiments were selected runs from the previous experiments where smoke was collected for composition analysis. With no supplementary heating, pyrolysis takes place when the pressing force is ≥49.1 N and the wheel speed is at ≥2500 rpm. These conditions generate interfacial temperatures within the pyrolysis range. When the system was heated, the limit where smouldering starts when 9.81 N and 200 ˚C were applied. Two significant results were obtained. First, the progression of smouldering, resulted in a low and high wear rate of wood. The shift between these is proposed to be an endothermic to exothermic transition. Second, the time to reach this shift is a function of the pressing force and system temperature, becoming instantaneous at 200°C for forces > 29.4 N. These allowed insight to be gained into the dynamics of heat and mass transfer during friction smoking. The smoke composition analysis indicates that controlling the volatiles formation is highly achievable by varying the smoking conditions (i.e. auxiliary heat, pressing force). The current design has some limitations, which include uncertainties in the conversion of electrical to mechanical power, vibration of the wood plank, conduction along the motor shaft and ingress of air. Recommendations are to address these by placing a thermal break on the shaft, preventing ambient air ingress into the chamber and adding a torque transducer. Further study is also recommended on the roughness and design of the friction wheel, and on scale up.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The effects of organisational decision making on supply chain execution : a case study of the NZDF light armoured vehicles supply chain : submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a Master of Supply Chain Management thesis, Massey University / New Zealand Defence Force
    (Massey University, 2018) Alexander, Sheree
    The purpose of this research is to examine how organisational management models, outside of traditional corporate supply chains, drive supply chain success. Corporate supply chains have applied supply chain improvement theories and practices, which have resulted in supply chain success and, ultimately, organisational success. Supply chains for military industries and non-commercial industries are not sufficiently unique to be able to discount the advances that have occurred in corporate supply chain management (SCM) concepts. This lack of uniqueness has seen the military industry commence implementing supply chain improvement theories and practices to its supply chains. Limited research has been conducted into the rationale for non-commercial industries delaying the implementation of advances in SCM concepts or, when they have been implement, why they have not had the desired level of success. Research in the field of organisational management and its influence on supply chains may provide insight into how advances in SCM concepts can be successfully transferred from commercial organisations to other industries. The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) provides a non-commercial context with sufficient complexity regarding its drivers for implementing changes that are likely to result in observable performance trade-offs with respects to SCM and organisational management models. This research will examine existing and previous supply chain and organisational management scenarios to determine the level of success achieved. It will also identify strengths and weaknesses with the existing models and propose an alternative organisational management model.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Design and development of a small-scale pellet extrusion system for 3D printing biopolymer materials and composites : submittted to the School of Engineering and Advanced Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering, Mechatronics at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2018) Whyman, Sean Matthew
    The aim of this research project is to develop a pellet-based 3D printing system that will accept biopolymer pellets to experiment with composite additives. Currently a majority of easily accessible or hobbyist 3D printers use filament as the input material for extrusion. With the goal in mind of printing using biopolymer materials and additive mixes, using filament remains achievable, but it would not provide as much freedom and exploration into unexplored areas. This can be an issue on the research side and a restriction on the hobbyist or consumer side where the material variety and printing capabilities such as recycling are much harder to achieve if not out of reach. This research report presents the process of designing and developing a pellet-based extrusion system to accept a range of biopolymer pellets for 3D printing. The system has been designed from first principles and therefore can be extended to other materials with slight parameter adjustments or hardware modifications. A robust mechatronic design has been developed using an unconventional yet simplistic approach to achieve the desired operating characteristics. The extrusion system uses a series of control factors to generate a consistent output of material over the course of a print. The platform and surrounding processes are setup so that software can be used to define the printing parameters, thus allowing for easy and simple adaption to dissimilar materials. The utility of the extruder is demonstrated through extensive printing and testing of the printed parts. Using Polylactic Acid (PLA) as the base material to test and develop the extruder system, the results of the print quality evolved as the extruders design became more robust. Several factors of the extruder contributed to large improvements such as; the hoppers rigidity, the internal geometries, the cooling efficiency and the software parameters. As these features progressed it enabled a much finer print quality and dimensional accuracy similar to what is seen in current Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) extruders today. The print comparison tests were carried out against FDM PLA samples to reveal a high similarity in mechanical strength and improvements to some areas of surface quality. Further testing revealed success in testing other materials such as PETG, as well as successfully mixing and extruding Harakeke flax fiber composite additives. The major limiting factor of the current design is its ability to withstand heat propagation up through the extrusion system. As higher temperatures are required to melt different polymers, the thermal tolerance of the drive motor will quickly reduce causing inconsistencies earlier on during printing. The water cooling block added into the design only prevent heat from travelling through the wall of the extruder and not the screw. A further limitation is that the extruder is made using aluminium as the material. This allows for quick start-up times, but it also wears at a fast rate and the shaved off aluminium ends up contaminating the processed material. Because this extruder accepts pellets, the range of possibilities for future applications is vast. With further improvements to better refine the process, the material range could expand to more unconventional materials that otherwise could not be printed using popular extrusion methods. As for a business sense, there are few well known methods of pellet printing and especially affordable systems. Therefore, an opportunity could be present to develop a commercially affordable desktop system or spin-off to enter a niche market.